Bouquets and Garters
by scifiromance
Summary: The bouquet and garter tosses at one Voyager wedding predict the pairing for another... P/T and C/7.
1. Chapter 1

**A/n: Thanks once again to Jedi Master Misty Sman-Esay and Valkara for giving me the idea for this little one-shot. I hope you both like it. **

"I can't believe I'm doing this…" B'Elanna grumbled under her breath as she positioned herself for the throw.

Tom, standing at her side with his arm around her waist, laughed happily. "Out of all the hard to believe things you've done today, the major one being that you married me, its a little bouquet toss that gets to you?"

"It's idiotic that's all, who in their right mind thought up the idea that catching a bunch of flowers increased a woman's chances of getting married?"

Tom smirked at her sarcastic tone, "A florist wanting more business maybe? Or drunken spinsters just like the group gathering behind you?"

B'Elanna glanced behind her, making the crowd of her eager, single female colleagues cheer as they stood in wait. "Oh for Kahless' sake…" She muttered impatiently.

"Would you have preferred a Klingon wedding tradition?" Tom asked softly against her ear as he hugged her slender body close.

"You might have." B'Elanna replied with a teasing glint in her eye, "One of them is that two single women have a Bat'Leth match to impress potential suitors."

"Sounds good, but since I've already taken the only woman proficient with a Bat'Leth off the market…" He whispered huskily.

B'Elanna's eyebrows rose, her lips fighting the urge to curve into a smile as she asked drily, "And who might this impressive woman be?"

"Mrs B'Elanna Paris." He murmured as he leaned in for a deep kiss which she easily reciprocated.

A chorus of dog whistles and cheers started up behind them. "Come on, you'll have plenty of time for that in the holodecks!" The best man, Ensign Harry Kim, shouted from the back, earning him grateful looks from the waiting group of women that made him blush.

B'Elanna laughed as she and Tom broke a couple of centimetres apart. "For that one Harry, I'm going to make sure and _not_ aim for you!" With that she threw the bouquet behind her with all her considerable strength, but instead of the expected riot of cheers and teasing, the room fell silent.

* * *

><p>Seven of Nine gave a start as she saw some sort of white missile flying through the air, but her natural quick reflexes caught it with an ease which seemed, inexplicably, to plunge the rather rowdy wedding reception for Lieutenants Paris and Torres into an awkward silence. Bemused, she looked down at what she held, the small bunch of white lilies tied with a green ribbon that had been Lieutenant Torres bridal bouquet. She stared back at the stunned crowd, expecting some sort of explanation, but her expression seemed to thaw the atmosphere and everyone began to laugh and chatter again with more abandon than before, still coyly studying her as they did so. "What does this signify?" she asked Tuvok, standing beside her at the back of the Mess Hall out of the way of the crowds, as she fingered the flowers' soft petals thoughtfully.<p>

Tuvok's eyes swept momentarily over the giggling crew and then focused again on Seven's innocently curious eyes. "You may not want to know." He replied honestly, his face as stoic as ever. Seven accepted his judgement easily enough and left him to discreetly return the bouquet to B'Elanna, who, feeling bad that she'd put the hopelessly clueless Borg in a slightly embarrassing situation, took them back quietly with a smile of thanks.

* * *

><p>"Everyone, please clear the floor for the traditional garter toss!" Neelix announced gleefully as he positioned a chair in the centre of the room, scurrying back into the crowd when Tom led B'Elanna out onto the floor.<p>

"I think Neelix is taking these traditions a little far!" Tom joked as he settled B'Elanna on the chair and kneeled down beside her.

"You know Neelix, anything to increase morale." B'Elanna replied, suppressing a girlish giggle as he pulled up her skirt.

"This definitely increases _my _morale!" Tom replied loudly, getting chortles from the guests as he skilfully removed her garter, sneakily kissing the inside of her thigh as he did so. "Right guys, get ready!" he rallied, spinning the garter like a lasso around his wrist before throwing it away wildly as B'Elanna collapsed on him, crippled with laughter.

* * *

><p>Chakotay couldn't help but wince as the garter hit him full on the chest and landed in his hands. He tried to hide it behind his back but Chell had noticed and sent up a shout, "The Commander got it!" The men around him began to snicker and several of the women, their inhibitions towards a senior officer lowered by synthehol and the fact that he looked even more handsome than usual in his formal uniform.<p>

Within a minute or so a flushed looked Tom, his collar askew, came up to him. "Did you see who caught the bouquet?" he asked, a little too innocently in Chakotay's mind.

Chakotay shrugged. "No, I wasn't watching. Didn't it just hit the floor or something? I didn't hear any celebrations from any of the women."

"Well…" Tom began but stopped as he realised Seven was beside him.

"I returned the flowers to Lieutenant Torres Commander. I have no use for them." Seven told Chakotay simply, unaware of the connotations behind Tom's ever widening grin directed at Chakotay.

"You…You caught the bouquet Seven?" Chakotay asked in disbelief, glaring at Tom as the pilot made a speedy retreat.

"Unintentionally yes, but I cannot interpret why everyone seems to find that important, or amusing." She replied, her brow deeply furrowed as she met his gaze, obviously anticipating some level of explanation from him.

He swallowed awkwardly, not wanting Seven to take fright and leave the party altogether. Yet as he looked into her unnervingly piercing blue gaze he knew he shouldn't mislead her. "It's a human tradition and superstition that the unmarried woman who catches the bride's bouquet is going to be the next one to get married."

"Oh." Seven muttered, stiffening as she looked down for a moment before meeting his eyes again. "That is an irrational theory. The odds that _I_, out of all the women on Voyager, will be the next to be wed are extremely low."

The matter of fact tone in which she said this made Chakotay's heart tighten. "You're being a little hard on yourself, don't you think?" he asked. Seven blinked in surprise before cocking her head questioningly to one side, her metal eyebrow raised. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, "Well Seven, you're very intelligent and loyal, not to mention beautiful." He pointed out hurriedly, feeling embarrassed.

She seemed not to notice his discomfort. "Beautiful?" she echoed in a doubtful whisper.

Chakotay looked at her incredulously. "Hasn't anyone told you that before Seven?"

"No." She answered bluntly before shrugging, "I am Borg, why would I be?" Her hand unconsciously brushed the implant over her eye as she spoke.

"You _were_ Borg." He stated firmly, "_Now_ you're human, and a very beautiful one, believe me."

She dipped her head in acknowledgement of his compliment, but he wasn't sure she believed him until she flashed him one of her _very_ rare smiles. "Thank you for the explanation Commander." She murmured softly before walking away from him.

Chakotay watched her disappear out the door, surprised to feel a sigh leaving his lips. He glanced down at the garter still in his hand. "She's right, it _is_ irrational." He muttered to himself before discarding it on the floor.

**A/n: PLEASE REVIEW! :D I might add another little chapter onto this if I get enough requests for it, since I love writing weddings. (As you can probably tell by now, lol!)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n: Hi! This story is back by popular demand! Thanks so much for the support everyone, please review again! :D This is set about three years after chapter one.**

The balmy Californian summer sun, slowly sinking behind the spectacularly steep and lush hills which characterised this part of Earth, made the lines of delicate lights strung between the pristine white tent and the flower covered altar under which a couple had been married just a few hours before glitter mesmerizingly down on the array of guests relaxed out on the lawn. A gentle evening breeze made some of the men who'd shrugged off their tuxedo or uniform jackets in the earlier heat slip them loosely back over their shoulders before laying back down on the grass to chat about old times or flirt with the women, but the appearance of a young girl running excitedly from the tent, her strawberry blonde hair running freely down her back. "Come back in! She's going to throw the bouquet!"

Despite knowing the girl was sincere, they'd all known her since birth after all, there were several raised eyebrows and murmured comments as the group moved under the cover of the tent as one, "Wouldn't Seven think that's irrelevant?"

* * *

><p>"I called them all back in." Naomi reported breathlessly as she returned to the front of the tent.<p>

The groom, Chakotay, smiled at her gratefully, "Thanks Naomi." He turned back to his new wife at the sound of her sigh. "What's wrong honey?"

Seven smiled at the concern in his voice, how could _anything _really be wrong today? "Nothing." She assured him quickly but glanced down at the large bouquet of roses in her hands, "I just still don't understand how my throwing these at someone could possibly predict their marital fortunes."

"That's exactly what _I _said!" B'Elanna laughed in agreement from nearby, looking resplendent in her flowing strapless bridesmaid dress of chiffon.

"Hey, it worked for us back then…eventually." Chakotay pointed out to Seven, smiling fondly at the memory.

"Oh yeah! I forgot Seven caught your bouquet B'Elanna!" Harry laughed.

"How could you?" Tom asked incredulously, "Don't you remember her face when she caught it?" He beamed suddenly at the newlywed couple in realisation, "Hey, it worked! You two _are_ the first couple to be married since B'Elanna and me!" He wrapped an arm around his own wife's waist as Chakotay and Seven both nodded, "We must be lucky B'Elanna…" He whispered seductively in her ear as she giggled.

"We must be…" She replied, leaning in for a kiss.

"Yucky!" Miral's disgusted exclamation broke them sheepishly apart as the other adults laughed.

"Wait and see until you've got kids, then you won't laugh so much!" Tom retorted teasingly.

"We probably still will!" Harry said before turning back to Seven and Chakotay, "You'll have to do a garter toss too, since Chakotay caught that at Tom and B'Elanna's wedding, wow you two were doubly predicted!"

"Yeah…" Chakotay began to agree before spotting Seven's arched eyebrow.

"You never informed me of that part of the tradition, or your involvement in it, at the time." She reminded him mildly.

"I know, I didn't want to freak you out too much." He told her with an awkward blush.

"I didn't believe in such things, but then I didn't think anyone would ever want to marry me either." Seven said softly, a sad note in her voice as she ran a hand gently up his face. "Thank you…"

He took her hand in his own and kissed it, "No, thank you. You're even more beautiful now than you were that night." He whispered against her skin.

"I should be, I'm happier than I ever have been." She replied, her face becoming thoughtful as she saw their two matching new rings gleaming in the dying sunlight. "I suppose the tradition isn't quite as irrational as I first thought." She admitted, tightening her grip around the slim stems as she heard the crowd now gathering behind her hold their breaths in anticipation.

The sudden restraining grasp of two small arms around her skirt stopped her just as she was about to throw. "What is it Miral?" She asked kindly as she looked down at the owner of the arms.

"I wanna thwow, I wanna thwow!" The toddler demanded, tugging at her skirt.

"Miral honey…" Tom began to chastise but couldn't stop a chortle of laughter from leaving his throat when he saw his daughter's put out face, "You'll get to do it when you get married…"

"No, now!" Miral said determinedly, stamping her foot encased in its white patent sandal. "Pwease Auntie Seven? Pwease!" she pleaded with wide eyes.

"If you wish Miral." Seven agreed readily, smiling at her guests' shocked face as she picked the fourteen mouth old up, "It's irrelevant to me, not so to Miral it seems!" Laughter bubbled through the room as she positioned Miral so that their hands were together over the bouquet, though it was her hand that provided most of the strength that propelled it into the air and straight onto Admiral Janeway's lap, whose eyes shot straight to her date even as she blushed, a distinguished, ruggedly handsome and jovial Admiral Glenn, who beamed at her even though the embarrassment.

"Good choice my love." Chakotay murmured in her ear as he wrapped her arms around her waist from behind.

* * *

><p>"Seven, someone didn't explain to you where a garter is supposed to go?" Chakotay asked Seven incredulously as he lifted her skirt slightly in front of the whistling crowd and saw it just above her shoe, barely on her ankle.<p>

"Yes." Seven answered, "But since it's not actually holding anything up and I'd prefer you undress me later in private…" She returned his immediate grin, his disappointment gone.

"You'd better keep that promise, or else I might feel cheated…" Chakotay said huskily as he distractedly pulled the garter over her shoe and threw it haplessly behind him before taking her fully in his arms and kissing her to make up for the very short garter game.

"You have good aim." Seven complimented him when he pulled back. "Admiral Glenn has a lot to thank us for, they've moved from flirting to dancing." She pointed out to him where Glenn, holding her garter, led Janeway eagerly out onto the dance floor.

Chakotay raised an eyebrow at her, "Since when did you start to notice flirting?"

"Since you starting flirting with me." She admitted.

"Well, I think we've also moved on to the dancing stage, don't you?" he asked with a smile as he kissed her again.

"Another tradition for married couples I think." Seven said as she stood up, earning a beaming smile from him.

**A/n: PLEASE REVIEW! :D**


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